This really wasn’t for me! I’m surprised I got through it because it was pretty painful to read. I loved ‘Three Women’ so much so I was disappointed that I didn’t like this. Taddeo is a good writer but this just fell so flat for me; maybe it was the short story format that I didn’t gel with on top of the depressing themes and shallow, repetitive characters.

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ve not read anything like this before; it was meaningful and cleverly written. I found some similarities to Haig’s ‘The Midnight Library’ but this book is much more detailed. I liked the parts written as Benny and the rapport he has with the book. The two secondary characters add a lot to the story too; I wanted more from ‘The Aleph’.
This book relentlessly dives deep into grief, trauma and mental illness which will make you feel uncomfortable because of Oseki’s wonderfully expressive writing. The powerful imagery made me honestly scared at times; the portrayal of what it would be like to have psychosis is frightening! You follow Benny and his mother through their grief which evolves into distinct mental illnesses for them both. In the end, Benny needs to confide in his friend where he has found it impossible to open up to his mother and professionals.
The first 300 pages were harder to get through but from then on, I was deeply invested in the characters and wanted to know how their lives turned out. But it did fall flat in places and felt a tad too long in my opinion. The way the ending was wrapped up didn’t seem to fit with the problems that Benny and his mother faced.

Release the Beast: A Drag Queen's Guide to Life by Bimini Bon Boulash

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funny hopeful inspiring

4.0

An honest, shocking, positive and obviously hilarious book! I really liked it! Although it didn’t take long to read, Bimini’s writing packs a punch! I really was inspired by their openness of their IBD condition and related a lot to this part!

The Art of Rest: How to Find Respite in the Modern Age by Claudia Hammond

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informative lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.0

I found this book to be a restful reading experience in itself. The book is split into 10 chapters counting down the 10 most restful activities that came to light in The Rest Test - an online survey where 18,000 people living in 135 different countries where asked questions about rest! Although it was interesting and well researched, for me it wasn’t anything new or ground breaking. However, I do find it helpful to read about the science of how to rest and how to look after yourself. Reading about how reading is restful was quite an amusing experience and one that enjoyed the most out of all the chapters.

The 10 restful activities: mindfulness, watching TV, daydreaming, a nice hot bath, a good walk, doing nothing in particular, listneing to music, I want to be alone, spending time in nature and reading :)

The Friendship Cure: Reconnecting in the Modern World by Kate Leaver

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funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Frank, open yet warm. I really enjoyed reading this thought-provoking exploration of friendship and I loved the snippets of investigative journalism and interviews throughout. I don’t feel that the book properly told you HOW to reconnect in the modern world and focused more on the WHY friendships are important. The toxic friendship chapter was particularly reassuring to read - I felt seen and reflective on my current and past friendships!

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helendipietro's reviews 243 reviews

helendipietro's reviews
243 reviews